Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 19, 1937.

D. L. KAUFMAN 2,096,112

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 31, 1932 Patented Oct. 19, 1937UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATHVG APPARATII IS Daniel L.Kaufman. Dayton, Ohio, asslgnor, by

mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, a corporation ofDelaware Application March 31,

' 9 Claims.

automatic water control valvesfor water cooled condensers. The inventionhowever, is not limited to such a use, b'ut it is capable of widegeneral application wherever it is desiredto control the flow of fluidsautomatically.

In refrigerating apparatus employing a water or liquid cooled condenser,it has been found de- 10 sirable to control the flow of water to thecondensing means according to the condenser pressure, that is when thecondenser pressure drops below a certain predetermined amount, the flowof water to the condenser is cut off, while, when the condenser pressureincreases above the predetermined amount, the water control valve isopened to permit the water to flow through the condenser to reduce thecondenser pressure. A

simple valve of this type has been found satisfac- -tory where thecapacity of the compressor and the temperature of the water remains thesame. However, when the capacity of the compressor is changed or adifferent size compressor is used with the same control valve and thesame condenser, such a valve has been found to be unsatisfactory. Such avalve has also been found to be unsatisfactory where the temperature ofthe cooling water fluctuates to'an appreciable'extent from season toseason. There have been attempts to provide an, adjustment for the valvebychanging the tension of the valve spring or by changing the valvespring itself. This has been foundto be unsatisfactory since when thespring is changed or the tension is changed, the

valve fails to open at the desired predetermined pressure and fails toprovide the proper amount of water at different condenser or headpressures.

Consequently the objects of my invention include the providing of animproved automatic control valve having means for adjusting the flow offluid through the valve while maintaining the predetermined opening andclosing points of the valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved automaticcontrol valve having a means for metering the flow of water when thevalve is open.

A further object of the invention is to provide 50 a means for adjustingsaid metering means without affecting the opening and the closing of thevalve.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following de- 55 scription,'reference being had to theaccompany- 1932, Serial No. 002,286

ing drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a diagrammaticillustrationof a refrigeratingsystem including a water cooled condenser together with a sectional viewof my improved water control valve operatively connected to the system,and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the metering pin of my watercontrol valve.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown for the purpose of illustratingmy invention, a refrigerating system of the compression type including acompressor 20 for compressing therefrigerant and for forwarding thecompressed refrigerant through the supply conduit 2| to a water cooledcondenser 22 containing a condenser coil 23 where the compressedrefrigerant is liquefied and forwarded through a second supply conduit24 to a refrigerant evaporator 25, shown as an evaporator of the floatcontrolled type. The liquid refrigerant within the evaporator 25vaporizes because of the absorption of heat and is returned to thecompressor through the return conduit 26. The compressor 20 is driven byan electric motor 21 through pulley and belt means 28. The operation ofthe electric motor is controlled by means of a pressure responsive" snapacting switch 29 which is actuated by the bellows 30 connected by aconduit 3| to the return conduit 26 of the refrigerating system. Thewater for cooling the water'cooled condenser 22 is supplied to theconduit 33 from the external source to the water control-valve 34 whichcontrols the flow ofwater' through the conduit 35 to the. condenser 22from which the water is discharged through discharge conduit 36.

The water control valve 34 has a valve body provided with a straining.chamber 31, an intermediate chamber 38 and a valve chamber 39. The watersupplied by the water supply conduit 33 enters the. filtering chamber 31through the threaded opening 4|. Within the filtering chamber 31 thereis provided a fine screen 42 of a cylindrical shape which surrounds ahollow filter plug 43 which is threaded into the valve body and extendsfrom top' to bottom of the straining chamber 31. The straining plug hasa plurality of vertical slots 44 in its walls adjacent the strainingscreen 42. The slots 44 permit the water to flow from the chamber 31through the filtering screen 42 into the water passage 45 within thestraining plug 43 which is closed at the upper end and which dischargesor opens into the hori-' zontal intermediate chamber 38. 1

At the opposite side of the horizontal intermediate chamber 38 there isprovided an orifice 41 within a flange which is provided with a valveseat 48 on its upper face. Within the valve chamber 39 there is provideda generally cylindrical valve member 50 which has an annular insert atits lower end adapted to rest upon and engage the valve seat' 48 whenin'its closed position. The valve member 50 is provided with valveguides 52 in the form of lugs which guide the Valve member 50 verticallyby engaging the cylindrical walls of the valve chamber 39. vA set screwor similar means, not shown, extends between the valve guides 52 forpreventing the rotation of the valve member 50. A thin cylindrical wall53 extends upwardly from the lower portion of the valve member 50 andhas a closed upper end 54 provided with a threaded aperture 55 whichreceives the upper threaded shank 56 of a calibrated metering needle orpin 51 which I extends within the orifice 41.

Surrounding the thin cylindrical wall 53 of the upper portion of thevalve member 50 is a valve spring 58 which has its lower end restingupon a shoulder 59 at the lower portion of the valve member and whichhas its upper end resting against a threaded adjusting plug 60 whichsurrounds the upper end of the valve member 50. By screwing the threadedadjusting plug 60 within the upper threaded wall of the valve chamber39, the tension of the valve spring 58 may bevaried.

Within the valve member 50 there is provided a smaller coil spring 6|which surrounds the shank 56 of the metering pin 51' and has its upperend resting against the closed end 54 of the valve member 50 and itslower end resting against the packing ring 63 which holds the packing 64against the inner cylindrical Walls of I the valve member 50 to preventthe water from leaking past the metering pin into the interior of thevalve member 50. The interior of the turn is threaded to a bellowsfollower 66 which isfixed to the closed end 61 of a pressure responsivebellows 68.

The bellows is enclosed within an inverted cap member 69 which is sealedto the lower portion valve body by means of the gland nut which holdsthe upper end of the cap member 69 tightly against the edge of a rubberdiaphragm H The rubber diaphragm II prevents the water .from thehorizontal intermediate chamber 38 from gaining access through thepassage 12 to the interior of the bellows 68.

The interior of the cap mm'nber69 is connected by means of the fluidconduit 13 to the supply conduit 2 l which supplies compressedrefrigerant to the condenser coil 23 of the condenser 22. The conduit 13permits the condenser or head pressure to gain access to the interior ofthe cap member so that its pressure is exerted upon the bellows 68. Whenthe condenser pressureis sufiiciently high, the force exerted upon thebellows 68 will be sufficient to overcome the tension of the valvespring 58 to raise the valve member 50 as well as the'metering pin 51 topermit the flow of water from the intermediate chamber 38' into thevalve chamber 39 and out through the threaded opening 14 into the watersupply conduit 35. The calibrated metering pin 51 has such a shape, asshown in-Fig; 2, to permit the proper amount of water to flow past theopen valve for each head pressure. When the condenser or head pressurei'sreduced, the valve .spring 58 will overcome the force exerted on thebellows 68 and cause the valve member 50 together with its annularcomposition insert 5| to engage the valve seat 48 to prevent the flow ofwater therethrough. A threaded plug provides'- access to the cylindricalvalve chamber 39.

In order to vary the flow of water through the valve without varying theopening and-closing pressures thereof, I have provided a square head 11upon the upper end of the shank 56 of the metering pin 51 so that themetering pin 51 may be raised or lowered with respect to the valve.

member50 by screwing it upwardly ordownwardly. This is-accomplished byreason of the fact that the threaded upper shank 56 which connects themetering pin with the valve member-50 has threads similar to the upperthreaded portion of the threaded connecting member 65v which connectsthe metering pin 5'! to the closed end of the" bellows 68. When themetering pin 51 is rotated by means of its squared upper end 11, themetering pin alone is moved upwardly or downwardly by reason of itsthreaded connection with the connecting member 65 and the valve member50. The metering pin 51 is given a peculiar shape as is better shown inFig. 2, so as to provide the proper flow of water through thevalveaccording to different head pressures. By adjusting the metering pin 51upwardly or downwardly, the valve may beso controlled and regulated thatit can be used with a compressor of a different capacity and yet main-.tain similar condenser pressures. By this adjustment means the meteringpin 51 can be raised or lowered to take care of different variations inthe temperature of the cooling Water which-are found in diiTerentlocalities. The adjustment of the metering pin can'also be used toprovide the proper flow of water to the condenser when the capacity ofthe compressor 28 is changed by driving the compressor at a differentspeed. Inasmuch as the location of the metering pin is changed withoutchanging the relation between -,the bellows 68 and the valve member 50,the

opening and closing pressures of the valve memher are not affected bythe adjustment of the metering pin.

ent condenser pressures so as to always supply the correct amount.justmnt provided for in the metering pin, the valve is made suitablemerely by adjusting the location of the metering pin for compressors ofdifferent capacities and cooling water of different temperatures withoutchanging the opening and closing pressures of the valve member 50.

The metering pin 51 properly controls and regulates the flow of water atdiifer- Thus, by reason .of the ada ing a valve body, said valve bodycontaining valve means for permitting and shutting off the flow ofwater, said valve means including metering means for metering the flowof water through the valve' means, pressure responsive means actuated bythe refrigerant pressure within said condenser for controlling saidvalve means including said metering means to regulate the supply ofcooling water maintaining the condenser pressure range con-' to thecondenser according to its requirements, and adjusting means for saidmetering means to varythe flow of water for diflerent capacities of thecompressor while maintaining the condenser pressure range constant.

2. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating systemcomprising a compressor, a water cooled condenser, and an' evaporator, awater control valve for controlling the flow of water to said condenser,said control valve having a valve body, said valve body containing valvemeans for permitting and shutting off the flow of water, said valvemeans including metering means the compressor while maintaining thecondenser pressure range constant, and adjustment means for saidpressure responsive means for varying the control of the flow of fluidthrough said valve means by said pressure responsive means.

3. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating systemcomprising a compressor, a water cooled condenser, and an evaporator, awater control valve for controlling the fiow of water to-the condenser,said valve including a valve member for shutting off the flow of water,means responsive to refrigerant pressure for operating said valvemember, and a metering means in series with said valve member formetering the flow of water to the condenser, said metering meansincluding adjusting means to vary the flow of water for differentcompressor capacities while stant.

4. Refrigerating apparatusincluding a closed refrigerating systemcomprising a compressor, a liquid cooled condenser, and an evaporator, a

liquid control valve for controlling the flow ofcooling liquid to thecondenser, said valve including a valve member for shutting off the flowof cooling liquid, means responsive to conditions of said closed systemfor operating said valve member, and means in series with said valvememher for regulating the flow through the valve.

5. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating systemcomprising a compressor, a liquid cooled condenser, and an evaporator, aliquid control valve for controlling the flow of cooling liquid to thecondenser, said valveinclud-- ing a valve member for shutting off theflow of cooling liquid, means responsive to conditions of said closedsystem for operating said valve member, means in series with said valvemember for regulating the flow of cooling liquid through the valve, andmeans for adjusting said last mentioned means independently of saidvalve member.

6. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating systemcomprising a compressor, a water cooled condenser, and an evaporator, a

of cooling liquid 3 water control valve for controlling the flow ol Iwater to said condenser, said control valve having a valve body, saidvalve body containing valve means for permitting and shutting ofi theflow of water, said valve means including regulating means forregulating the flow of water through the valve means, pressureresponsive means actuated by the refrigerant pressure within saidcondenser for' controlling said valve means including said regulatingmeans to regulate the supply of cooling water to the condenser according to its requirements, and adjusting means for said regulating meansto vary the flow of water for different capacities of the compressorwhile maintaining the-condenser pressure range con stant.

7. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating systemcomprising a compressor, a water cooled condenser, and an evaporator, awater control valve for controlling the flow of Water to said condenser,said control valve having a valve body, said valve body containing valvemeans for permitting and shutting off the flow of water, said valvemeans including regulating means for regulating the now of water throughthe valve means, pressure responsive means actuated by the refrigerantpressure within said condenser for controlling said valve meansincluding said regulating means to regulate the supply of cooling waterto the condenser according to its requirements, and adjusting means forsaid regulating means to vary the flow of water for different capacitiesof the compressor while maintaining the condenser pressure rangeconstant, and adjustment means for said regulating means for varying thecontrol of the flow of fluid through said valve means by said pressureresponsive means. 1

8. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating systemcomprising a compressor, a liquid cooled condenser, and an evaporator, aliquid control means for controlling the flow of cooling liquid to thecondenser, said liquid control means including a valve member forshutting off the flow of cooling liquid and a metering means independentof the valve means but in fluid series relationship with the valvemember, and means responsive to conditionsof said closed system foroperating the valve member and the metering means for regulating theflow of cooling liquid through the valve.

9. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating systemcomprising a compressor, a liquid cooled condenser, and an evaporator, aliquid control means for controlling the flow of cooling liquid to thecondenser, said liquid control means including a valve member forshutting off the flow of cooling liquid, a. regulating means forregulating the flow of cooling liquid through the valve, meansresponsive to conditions of said closed system for operating saidvalvemember and said regulating means, and means for adjusting saidregulating means independently of said valve means.

DANIEL L; KAUFMAN.

